Our Story

Urban Chalet was born in 2006 on a cross-country road trip. Angela and Mike Sarmiento, inspired by their love of the outdoors, spent 10 months trekking through the Rockies. Angela was recovering from surgery and her doctors asked her to take a break, leading her to re-evaluate her original design business, which she founded in 2001.

She returned to the Bay Area determined to grow a firm that married good design with a holistic business model. Angela’s love of architecture and design are rooted in her extensive cross-cultural upbringing, and well-grounded by her education in finance and business.

Michelle’s traditional architectural education and work experience are complemented by her reverence for nature, love of yoga, and Reiki qualification in the first degree. This deeply-rooted and personal ideology of wellness, combined with respected design training, uniquely positions Michelle as an innovative leader.

The company has grown from residential remodels to large-scale national roll-out concepts, and everything in between. We currently work on projects of all types and sizes, with no design need too small. We approach each project with a fresh perspective and tailor the internal team to fit the needs of the client and project. The Urban Chalet family has evolved into what it is today: a dedicated design firm fostering partnerships with our clients and delivering results-oriented spaces that make living and working better.

Angela Sarmiento
CEO + Principal

Angela is an accomplished professional with an outstanding track record of success, adept at working in a fast-paced, detail-oriented, deadline-driven, team or self-driven environment. She is a graduate of the University of Washington, with dual majors in Business and International Studies from the Henry M. Jackson School. She has also completed postgraduate coursework in AutoCAD.

Michelle Granelli
Principal | LEED AP

Michelle has over a decade of work experience for city agencies and architecture firms specializing in institutional, commercial, and residential work. Her strength in interior design lies in her ability to coordinate efficiently and successfully with the project team, clients, and various design and construction trades. Michelle is a LEED AP and graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Architecture from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo.

Mike Sarmiento
CFO + Scale Advisor

Our CFO and Scale Advisor, Mike Sarmiento, excels in executing strategy through operations, finance, real estate, human capital, systems development, tax and treasury, compliance and national roll-outs. He has served on the management team of a variety of young companies, successfully growing diverse businesses in healthcare, e-commerce, financial services and hospitality. Mike received a BA in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley and a Masters in Accountancy from the University of Notre Dame, graduating Magna Cum Laude.

Our Strength is Our Tribe

Our Strength is Our Tribe

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